Mom and I left bright and early Friday 15th February for Paris! Our flight left Ajaccio Campo dell Oro almost on time around 7am. And the sights from the window were stunning! Here is our attempt at capturing the snowcapped mountains as the sun rose
After settling in and taking a nap in our flat on rue François Mirron in le Marais we took our first walk in Paris, heading straight for the Seine!
And here is our first glimpse of the Seine
We then investigated a book vendor
From here we walked over to Notre Dame cathedral
We lit two candles for my grandparents
Saw this giant chandelier
While we were there a mass was beginning and we watched a long procession of priests amid clouds of frankincense and listened to the organ music it was beautiful.
More Notre Dame
Here is Notre Dame from the outside
After our visit to Notre Dame we walked around along the Seine some more. Here’s a carved head over a bridge – he looks pretty angry!
And a nice scene very close to our home base
That evening we went to the Louvre. On the way we passed the Hôtel de Ville where we saw this lovely carousel
And here is one of my favourite things – bicycles and metro!!
The Louvre was very beautiful to see in the evening
Here’s the pyramid
This is for the Gang at the Gallery – a little example of things happening here in Paris!
It was a lovely visit.
Here is “Winged Victory” I think – very interesting story goes with this piece, of which I don’t remember much
Hello!
This poor fellow is not doing so well
Some of the rooms are exquisite. The last time I was here I somehow missed the ceilings – very important to look up when you are in the Louvre!
Hallway of sculptures
Here is Hercules defeating the Hydra
Mercury
The Louvre palace as seen through the pyramid
Venus de Milo
Saturday
Here is a shot outside our flat – very elegant staircase
Here’s our place
Saturday morning we went to our local market – marché Baudoyer
Legumes!
Têtes des Poissons!
Les fleurs
St. Jacques – aka scallops
Here is our street again
A beautiful bicycle
Sparkling seine and people sunning themselves on the bank
Some scenes of the seine
We headed up Quai de Gesvres on our way to find Galerie 88 – cheap vegetarian restaurant that was excellent. On our way we ended up upon a flower shop haven – mom was very happy!
That night we stayed in and recuperated our feet from heavy sidewalk slamming.
Sunday we went to a mass in the morning at Saint Sulpice
On our way we passed the Hôtel Beauvais which has a very interesting story we’ll tell you later.
Here is the fountain outside Saint Sulpice
And Saint Sulpice
Inside Saint Sulpice
And the beautiful and gigantic organ
After the mass we looked around and listened to an organ recital. There are actually three murals by Delacroix in this church as well.
Outside we found the French practicing something very dear to Canadian hearts – HOCKEY!
After we went to a covered market where we bought our provisions for the day and then headed off towards (we thought) the Jardin du Luxembourg but ended up going in the wrong direction and finding many lovely surprises on the way.
Here is Voltaire surrounded by Primroses
And mom had been dying to see this little park – Square du Vent-Galant.
And then we saw a JACK RUSSLE PUPPY – mom’s favourite
We then made it to the Jardin du Luxembourg which was lovely even in winter. It was full of people relaxing in the afternoon sun.
Here is the fountain de Marie de Medici
And a statue of a Greek Actor with the Pantheon behind
Children launching sailboats and promenaders enjoying the gardens
Lovely gardens
This is in Square Francis Poulenc – note bird in tree eating berry and nice shadows behind
And the tandem bicycle locked up in the same place!
Beekeeping school they have at Jardin du Luxembourg
Pretty passage
Then we ended up at the back of the Odeon Theatre which is very lovely
And sat down for a light lunch of onion soup and crème brûlée which we decided sounds much prettier in French than in English – burnt cream? Mmm!
Then we walked to Saint Michel (or maybe ended up there haphazardly as we often end up places!) and saw the fountain of Saint Michel – with really cool dragons!
As we crossed the street heading towards Notre Dame for a walk we saw Policemen on horseback – this is for Faith and Roman!
Next we began a walk. Mom did a lot of research for this trip and even researched historical walks, which are really interesting. This is the first one we did. It started at the Petit Pont near Notre Dame. We didn’t follow the itinerary completely but we got the gist.
Here is Eglise Saint Julien le Pauvre – oldest church in Paris (6th C). Very interesting story too.
the story of Julien is told by Flaubert in his Trois Contes. He was the son of a noble family, with an unfortunate obsession with game hunting. One day after slaughtering a doe and fawn, the stag he was pursuing spoke to him and told him he would one day kill his own mother and father…which of course he did. After this he gave up his estates to repent. His wife joined him and they set up a ferry service and lodgings for weary travellers. One cold and bleak night Julien was awoken by a hideous, half dead stranger who asked for hospitality and a ferry ride. J brought him in and cared for him; later while ferrying this creature across the river, the creature was transformed into a radiant angel who informed J that God had forgiven him…J’s story is depicted in a 14th C stone relief that is found around the corner from the church, which comes up later. The river is the Seine and the site of the guest house set up by J and wife later became the junction of the 2 main Roman roads from Paris to the south.
In the park next to the church is what is purported to the oldest tree in Paris, we didn’t notice next to it a much more impressive and humongous tree that is probably younger… until later… oh well here is the oldest tree planted in 1602. It’s an acacia, held up by 2 props: a modern buttress-like crutch and an older imitation trunk of ridged stone (u can’t really see this in the photo)
Next we found Shakespeare and Company. In my year at Leeds I saw a film that was about the Women of the Left Bank and Sylvia Beach and her bookshop was in it- this was what made me want to go to Paris! And I just found it now! It was not what it would have been back then but still very interesting. The store is now owned by George Whitman and daughter Sylvia (named after u guessed it Sylvia Beach). Like Beach he is a friend to young writers who can often stay in one of the rooms at the shop in exchange for working in the shop. He also gives young writers a chance to be published in his review and be heard at regularly held readings.
Here are some photos
There was a little hut near the children’s section with a typewriter in it – just what I love most – and these little kids typing away!
The little girl closest to the camera also read aloud a book to her mother called the bad baby that was pretty cute to hear! She had a terrible time trying to pronounce ‘crisps’!
Then we went off down rue st julien le pauvre again – here is a photo of it and notice the cute and fat baby!
above the massive doors is Theis the Greek goddess of justice (the fat baby is a cherub holding an hourglass)
the blood red door belongs to the Caveau des Oubliettes, now an underground jazz club, formerly a prison or maybe monks cells….stories abound
Little man in cage – a reminder of the oubliettes probably!
And these little guys holding up the window frame!
This is rue galande
Photo
here’s Julien and wife ferrying the beggar across the Seine
nos 61 and 59 rue galande , the art nouveau lady crowns the entrance to both buildings
no 65 was built in the 16thC the frieze of a woman’s head surrounded by roses and oak leaves, was only recently discovered (hidden by 19thC plaster of paris)
Then we went to see Eglise Saint Severin – which we’ll hear about later in the blog as we also discovered it in another walk – and noticed the nice gargoyles outside
Check out the moon in the background!
From here we went home and relaxed/ate dinner and later that night went to see the Eiffel Tower at night – best time to see it, as you will soon find out! Here are some night shots
Then we walked to the centre and looked up – very bizarre!
Then we went to see a carousel we spotted from across the street
I had told mom that the Eiffel tower does quite a light show at night and she didn’t believe me but low and behold here it is!
It’s something else and goes on for quite awhile and speeds up! In fact, it goes into a light frenzy!!
Also here is the city bikes that are everywhere, you have to pay to use them but they are everywhere and we see loads of people out on them everyday! This one was a full rack and the sign in front says ‘c’est par là’ which is what my friend Chantal in Quebec used to say all the time and I would tease her about it!
New day not sure which – we went to Edgar Quinet cemetery (or Montparnasse cemetery) where we had quite the adventure!
Before this we went to see Paris en couleur a free exhibition of photographs of Paris from the 20th Century. It was really lovely! And recommended by a colleague who wanted to help me find my way in Paris. From there we went to the cemetery.
Here we are outside the metro
Something I’m sure we saw in the exhibition
Basset hound! How cute!!
In the cemetery we were trying to figure out where all the people were we wanted to see and a kind fellow came over and asked if we wanted a plan. Very nice we said thank you and walked away.
First we found Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre
Mom took a photo of a sparrow burrowing into the wall
Then the man who had given us the map came up to us and said ‘do you speak French?’ (maeve’s first mistake) I said yes I speak French. Then he started telling us who we should go see and went into a great load of explanation about who we should see where we should go how we would find them etc etc on and on and on. Eventually we lost him and found more interesting monuments, the grave of Baudelaire and another sparrow burrowing into the wall
A road in the cemetery
Monument
Photo
Lions
Ricardo…
Samuel Beckett and his wife
just before finding sam we had the misfortune of running into the helpful cemetery employee again who cross examined M on who (from HIS list) we had seen, M is too honest, he then led us on a route march, showing us numerous journalists, singers and actors, none of whom we had ever heard of, after which he launched into his personal story…said he wanted to visit Canada to go horse back riding and asked about cemeteries in Canada…it was endless, when he finally left us, we decided to give up on finding Man Ray and lots of others, luckily we saw Samuel Beckett while exiting
also an interesting grave
an elaborate memorial with skull and crossbones
